WA1 Resources inks vital agreement to secure Hidden Valley exploration licence
Hidden Valley is 45km from Panoramic Resources’ Savannah nickel-copper-cobalt mine in Western Australia’s east Kimberley.
WA1 Resources (ASX: WA1) has inked a native title heritage protection and mineral exploration agreement, which paves the way for its Hidden Valley nickel-copper exploration licence to be granted.
The agreement was signed with the Kimberley Land Council on behalf of the Malarngowern and Purnululu people in Western Australia’s east Kimberley.
WA1 Resources managing director Paul Savich said the company was committed to working with traditional owners for all of its projects.
The agreement ensures all exploration at Hidden Valley will be undertaken with traditional owners’ knowledge and informed consent.
Hidden Valley comprises one exploration licence application that covers 220 square kilometres of ground 150km south of Kununurra.
Following the heritage and exploration agreement, WA1 Resources expects the licence application will be granted in the “coming weeks”.
Hidden Valley prospectivity
Hidden Valley is on a major structural position straddling the Osmond Fault, which is along strike of IGO Ltd’s (ASX: IGO) Osmond Valley project where it is looking for nickel-copper-cobalt sulphide mineralisation.
Mr Savich said the potential for magmatic nickel-copper and other mineralisation types at Hidden Valley has been known for decades but never adequately tested.
No work has been completed at the project since 2007 when airborne data taken by BHP (ASX: BHP) in 1996 was reanalysed.
Mr Savich said this historical work had ranked the Osmond Pipes as high priority targets and were never followed up.
The Osmond Pipes were recommended for further evaluation via electromagnetic (EM) surveys and considered a potential ultramafic source.
WA1 Resources expects modern EM geophysical techniques will help “rapidly evaluate” the targets.
“Following completion of geophysics utilising the latest available technology over the coming months, we will look to advance the project towards drilling.”
WA1 Resources noted in addition to IGO, several other ASX-listed companies were active in the region including Panoramic Resources (ASX: PAN), which is about to begin regional drilling at its Savannah nickel-copper-cobalt mine 45km to the west of Hidden Valley.